Working out.

Hey Dasael, I've found that a great alternative to a treadmill is an elliptical machine. I bought one back in October and I love it, and I'm the kind of person that hates running. But with the elliptical I use at 3-4 times per week at 30 minutes per shot and it's a great workout.

Oh I agree 100% here. I love to run outside, but I hate the tredmills, plus they kill the knees. The Elliptical, in my opinion give you a better workout and its not tough on the knees or joints because its such a smooth, flowing motion.

joecrisp, it's great to talk to someone who is certified.

Now that you're here I HAVE a few questions myself. :) I had been trying to put on some muscle. I've been eating all my protein (no supplements, I do every natural) varying my workout (changing reps/routines/time of day) and I'm hardly noticing any difference. I've gotten on a big plateau.

Any suggestions???

And thanks a lot for the compliments/motivation... It's just something I've tried to stick with since I lost the weight.

Ironically, sometimes the best cure for the endless plateau is rest. If you've been on a pretty steady program for a significant amount of time (4-6 months), you'll usually find yourself hitting that plateau, and it seems impossible to break out of it. You might want to try inserting one or two weeks of active rest for every six-to-eight weeks of weight training. By active rest, I mean finding other activities (recreational sports, hiking, yardwork, etc.) to keep your body active, while providing the muscles an opportunity to rest and heal.

Prolonged plateaus that don't respond to significant variations in the training program are usually an indication that the body needs rest. I've often found that by simply laying off the weights for a week or two, I feel stronger and more energized and enthusiastic when I go back to the training program, and I start progressing again.

But you took the right steps by trying to change-up your routine, modifying the reps and exercises, trying different schedules. When those modifications don't work, your body's usually trying to tell you that it needs a little break.

Great to get all this free advice, thanks Joe.

Another thing I'd suggest is to get a subscription to Men's Health (or something similar), it'll give you a variety of ideas on exercises so you don't get bored or in a rut.

JoeCrisp,
Here's the thing, I work nights and sleep during the day. When I am up I spend as much time with my two year old until she goes to sleep. I have a couple hours on my own before I have to go back to work...Basically no time to get to the gym and frankly, can't afford it now.

Do you have any suggestions for me. I can see the cardio workout is very important but how can I do that from home.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Wow - thanks for all the suggestions guys. Good to see lots of other people on this site are active and can give me pointers!

Now all I have to do is lookup half the words you guys said, and then try to get over my fear of entering a gym!

I'm going to stay away from the "details" of working out and try to give some basic pointers.

Keep in mind that you need to work out regularly (not working out 5 times per week one month and 1 time per week another month). If you develop a steady routine where you commit yourself to working out on say Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, it's easier to stay in the habit of working out and it becomes enjoyable (or, at least you feel like crap if you don't work out). If you don't commit yourself to a regular workout schedule, it's VERY easy to fall out of the routine of working out for months at a time - thereby wasting all of your hard work. Trust me, I know from experience. I'm a member at a gym and I go every M, W, F morning. I'm not the most self-disciplined person and so if I don't have a set routine, I find excuses not to go to the gym.

As for diet, there's no need to stay away from carbs provided you are ready to work out very soon after eating carbs, don't binge eat before you go to sleep after starving yourself during the day, try to eat larger breakfasts, and consume lots of water.

Best of luck.

eat al the fruit you want-deink alot of spring water

I think most importantly you need to find something you enjoy doing, otherwise you're not going to stick with it.

Thanks for the advice Joe!

Good luck Daseal!!

JoeCrisp,
Here's the thing, I work nights and sleep during the day. When I am up I spend as much time with my two year old until she goes to sleep. I have a couple hours on my own before I have to go back to work...Basically no time to get to the gym and frankly, can't afford it now.

Do you have any suggestions for me. I can see the cardio workout is very important but how can I do that from home.

Thanks for any suggestions.

There are quite a few exercises you can do at home, many of them without any equipment.

Here are a couple of sites that provide good info on strength training, and exercise in general:

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/weight.htm

As far as equipment-free strength-training, here's an article that provides some good examples of exercises that can be done at home, without the need for weights or equipment:

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_12_19/ai_110621924

However, I would invest a little money in an adjustable bench (one that has an adjustable back pad that can lay flat or stand-up straight), and a few sets of dumbbells. You can find these things relatively cheap at any fitness or sporting goods store. Fixed-weight Dumbbells are usually about 20 to 25 cents per pound, or you can buy dumbbells with interchangeable weight plates. I prefer the cast-iron fixed-weights, but it's up to you.

It's good to have at least a pair of 15 pounders, 25, 35 and 45 pounds. Using the first site I listed above, you can click on a body part, and find dumbbell exercises for each one.

You can do a quick circuit of six to ten exercises each day, alternating upper body one day, and lower body the next. Generally, you can complete a full circuit of strength training exercises in about 20 minutes. I workout five days a week, alternating weekly between 3 days of upper body, 2 days of lower body, and vice versa.

As far as cardio goes, the best solution for you may be running/walking or biking for 20 minutes a day. It's hard to do cardio exercises at home without equipment. So you basically have to get outside and do your cardio that way.

If you have a limited amount of time to work with, you could do 20 minutes of cardio before you go to work, and 20 minutes of strength training when you get home.

Liek Ramseyfan said, the key is getting into a routine-- making exercise a daily habit, just like eating and sleeping-- and sticking with it.